Masks of Passion
by Kodoku-shan
Summary: Their hate and anger transforms drastically and a phenomenon that was once rumor is painfully perceived as truth. Was it a mistake? ZukoXSokka Slash
1. Chapter 1

Alright, here it goes, my first avatar pairing (ZukoXSokka!!!). Now I'm nuctorious for short chapters and aggravating cliff hangers, but I PROMISE ITS GOOD! So bear with me...

All aside, I'd like to explain this first part. It was origionally just a one shot on my perspective of the word hate, but I thought it would make things easier to understand between these two.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The last airbender, Shakespeare or oneofthosenintendowii's ... thatItotallywantforchristmas...

* * *

**HATE**

"…the hate I bear thee can afford no better term than this, -thou art a villain."

-**Shakespeare **

Hate.

Is it really that simple?

No, it isn't.

"Hatred is an emotion of intense revulsion, distaste, enmity, or antipathy for a person, thing, or phenomenon, generally attributed to a desire to avoid, restrict, remove, or destroy the hated object."

That's not enough…

The truth is, hate does not exist, at least not the kind that any human mind had ever fathomed. We do not mistake hate as that casual, vulgar noun often used to describe things that one merely dislikes.

That is percicely what it is.

Overtime, the word has decayed as we begin to look further into it than its meaning perscribes. We now believe that hate is a word beyond definition, one indescribable by any of its all less worthy synonyms.

All the same has happened to the word love.

To believe that love is the opposite of hate is to prove that you know nothing of either emotion. They are simply words, lables that people have placed on their feelings that help us better communicate what we feel.

Both love and hate are simply masks of a passion that comes in many forms and strengths. A passion that at one point, _everyone_ posseses. We simple _choose_ which mask to wear.

Love… or hate.

"…the reason that I have to love thee doth much excuse the appertaining rage…"

"…shall not excuse the injuries that thou hast done me…"

"…but I love thee better than thou canst devise…"

"I am for you."

* * *

It felt different, in an amazing way. As if they're very elements were actually colliding. 

Water… Fire…

Each touch sizzled.

Froze and burned…

They expected steam to billow between them, like spilling water on a lit stove. The sensation combusted, hissed, boiled, then just as quickly disappeared.

Like a full course meal for a starved man, it was delicious and irresistible, but never enough to satisfy. One taste, and they were grabbing at each other wherever they could feel the morphine skin under their greedy fingers. Face, neck, arms; Zuko even slipped his hands under Sokka's shirt, clawing desperately at his stomach.

This was out of the question, but its not like either one had asked. Neither was at all _prepared_ for what came over the fire nation prince.

Yes, maybe it _was_ his fault. Zuko dreaded how Sokka would blame him for this. It was _his_ infuriating sarcasm that started him up in the first place, he thought. The bastard didn't know when to shut his mouth, and was being merciless with his insults. Zuko wasn't going to put up with it any longer and lunged towards him with a zealous intention.

He felt angry flames build up inside him before he realized what he was doing. Firebending here would blow his cover, and later it crept into his mind the possibility of his uncle's involvement.

It had to be for the past month the old man was trying to teach him how to be a more loving and caring person, smiling at customers, bringing a girl out to dinner and such.

"You'll make MUCH better tea!"

Perhaps this practice became unconsciously habitual, and when he grabbed Sokka, already abandoned the possibility of burning him to a crisp, he also avoided the option of beating him _whatsoever_ and resorted to the last possible way to release his anger without being arrested.

He _kissed _him…

But once he did, everything changed...

Once they touched, they no longer had a choice. Nothing beyond their bodies any longer existed. They were trapped together, and it seemed as though what little room that was spared was shrinking quickly and they clung to each other to conserve space.

Both who were secretly willing, willingly lied through their eagerness.

But at some point, it had to stop.

They came to a mutual halt. Zuko now lost the excuse to continue of it being a "Spur of the moment" and immediately tore away, enraged. He could say nothing to explain himself and stormed out before Sokka had a chance to say anything of it.

The water tribe boy was left speechless on the floor pressing a handful of shaking fingers to his lips.

* * *

I realy hope you all liked it, please tell me what you think! Reviews help me get off my ass to write more, so until my next installment! 

-RoniPasta


	2. Chapter 2

**Just a little note before we continue:** This story takes place during the time period that Aang and the group are staying a Ba-Sing-Se(sp?) and Iroh and Zuko are running the tea shop there at the same time. I hope I didnt make that TOO obvious...

Also, I have realized that Sokka is NOT a water bender. But hey, its in his blood! cut me some slack. At any rate, Sokka wont be doing any waterbending here, I assure you.

For all those people coughaboutthreecough who read the first chapter, commented, and waited FOREVERRRRR to read the second, YOUR FREAKIN AWSOME! andIloveyou... thanks.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR:THE LAST AIRBENDER just this plot, unless they would like to use _it_ too... Not that I would complain... _at ALL..._

Sorry for taking so long:

* * *

"Wasn't that all just a rumor?" Sokka questioned through the wheat stalk he was chewing.

"Nope," Aang replied, though he seemed to be paying more attention to the view outside his window.

"It was the air benders who discovered it, even though it only occurred between fire and water benders." She spoke slowly, dipping her pipe between her fingers.

"Why?" Zuko asked the fortuneteller woman, the only one he could possibly resort to with such questions.

"Well, if you think about it," Aang continued. "Water and fire are the only two elements directly involved with the immediate destruction of one another."

"So, that's how it happened?" Sokka practically stated instead of asked, trying hard not to act at all interested.

"Yessssss…" The woman hissed. Her voice matched that of the noisy beads that shadowed every doorway, and pipe smoke they were _both_ breathing. "At first, as the fire and water nations held endless grudges against each other, only hate was forged. The startling contact was simply passed off as an attribute of their angry passion."

After discovering no particular amusement of the view, Aang finally turned inside. "That was until that old folktale was written, you know, the one about the fire and water nation lovers."

"Never heard of it…" Sokka said, sounding like he was 'giving up' on the conversation like he did often with topics he knew little about. "Well, as much as I'd _love_ to hear your lovey-dovey little story, Aang, I think I'll head out for some _tea_." Without another word, he headed out the door and down the street.

* * *

It was starting to get busy at the shop with Iroh running around with teapots like the mad hatter. Zuko stepped out from the kitchen with a fresh pot of hot water just in time to see Sokka's back when he left. Not sure it was him at first, the bun had disappeared and in its place was what seemed to be a full head of brown hair, but the blue clothes were unmistakable.

His stomach dropped at the site of him, and so did the pot of boiling water he was still carrying behind the counter. For some reason, he was afraid that Sokka had seen him drop it, being so clumsy, and weak, long before worrying about Uncle, the customers, or how he would manage to clean it up.

He patted the floor with a rag, worrying about himself. Was he taking last night too seriously, or not seriously enough? Not only that, but why was he so concerned about what _Sokka_ thought of him?

After getting up to put the rag away, he headed to a table to answer a customer's call. They were placed next to a window that looked out into a dark alley between their teashop and the next building. Zuko had stopped to help them when he accidentally glanced out the window and stopped dead.

"Excuse me, do- …young man? …_Young man?_ Is there something wrong?"

Sokka was standing clear opposite of the window peering in straight at Zuko. Not blinking, not shifting glances, almost as if to mutter, "Come. Here. _Now_."

How could he refuse?

Ignoring the customer's questions, Zuko sped off to the back of the shop, more angry than he was flattered. His uncle noticed, and took his place without a split second's hesitance.

"I apologize for my nephew, he must have remembered that pot of tea he left on the stove! Keep up the good work, Zuko!" Iroh shouted after him, adding a nervous laugh towards the customers that made it sound even more pulled-out-of-his-ass than it already did.

Zuko stole a quick glance at the clock as he tore off his apron and stormed out of the back door.

9:34

He found Sokka just where he last saw him, leaning against the wall staring into the window ignorantly as though it wasn't Zuko he was looking at, but something still going on inside.

"Whatdo you think you are _doing_ here?" He scolded, placing himself in front of the boy so that their eyes locked once more.

"_What?_ Cant I just enjoy a cup of tea?" Sokka remarked, as coolly as he would if he were still sitting in the shop, seconds away from taking a sip of the leaf juice.

"You're here to turn us in, _aren't you?_"

Sokka hesitated, tapping his finger against his chin, "Now that I think about it… that _does _sound like a good idea…"

Zuko was fed up with this nonsense and grabbed his neck, pressing it against the wall behind him. The boy didn't make an attempt to struggle in the slightest. As a matter of fact, he started to close his eyes and let out a breath like he was _enjoying _it.

It took him a moment before he realized it. The contact the fortuneteller was talking about. They could feel it, and like before it was having quite the opposite effect.

Zuko finally snapped back to his senses. "Is _this_ what you want?" He shot at Sokka, tightening his grip. "_This is what you came for?!_"

The boy's exasperated sigh broke into a soft chuckle as his hands trailed up Zuko's arm to meet the ones wrapped around his neck. His question was answered in the silence.

The palms of his hands around Sokka's neck were boiling. Not the same, pleasant feeling as before but a reminder. A painful reminder that the moment he loosened his grip, the moment he kissed him again, it would come back, and he couldn't wait another second, not another _goddamned second._

He gave in, letting himself fall into the boy like a magnet drawn to it's opposite; kissing so deep he could draw the very breath from his lungs. Sokka clung to him again, just like before, clawing and scratching at his back trying to feel the heat of his skin under his clothes. Their lips and tongues were most sensitive to the static between them and they refused to pull their mouths away, going too long without a decent breath. When they finally did break apart they spent several moments standing still, breathing heavily into each other's faces.

Zuko opened his eyes and saw his hands around Sokka's face. The boy still had his eyes shut, but was breathing a little more steadily now. They'd stopped moving.

The moment was gone.

In a few seconds, Zuko would probably give him a good shove into the wall, spit to the ground, and walk back into the shop wiping his mouth with his sleeves, but that was too predictable. If they both new that that would happen, why not take a chance and change it up a bit? Zuko stared long at the boy and considered the chances of ever seeing him like this again. He finally leaned his head beside his ear, leaving one of his hands on his face to press their cheeks together and whispered.

"In three days," He began, "my uncle leaves for the inner wall on business. He'll be gone in the early morning, and won't be back until the next day so the teashop will be closed…" He stopped, hoping Sokka's instincts would assume the rest.

The boy understood him perfectly but decided to continue trembling helplessly, basking in the sensuous tone Zuko used to tickle his ear with. He could not wait three days, Zuko was here NOW and that's exactly when he wanted him. But it was too late, Sokka felt him pull away and heard his slow footsteps down the alley and back through the tea shop door. He didn't open his eyes in time to see him again before he left.

Zuko refused to see anyone. He stormed off into his room, plowing right through his uncle and an angry landlord. He'd feel better in the morning, but for now stuffing his face into a pillow would have to suffice.

_ Why did it feel so good?_

How could something exist that's so powerful it forced Zuko to forget all he had lived for just to enjoy that single moment of bliss?

That accursed bliss…

That bliss was salt water to the thirstiest man on earth. He drank as much as he could bring to his lips, but continued to be driven insane with thirst. The more he drank the thirstier he got, the less he drank the thirstier he got. There was no way out.

Zuko tossed and turned in bed, not a single position proved in the least bit comfortable. Hours went by and as every second passed the fire nation prince suffered years of loneliness. He reached and breached his limit of internal tolerance too many times that should be counted in a normal human lifetime. There was something wrong. It shouldn't be like this.

_ I should have him…_ He thought, _He should me mine…_

The man tore at his face, his skin and chest, the pillows and blankets. He wanted to tear himself apart because he couldn't bear existing as only one person anymore. The very fabric of what was once reality was torn as easily as his cotton sheets.

_ God, I want him…_Why_ do I want him!? I MUST MAKE HIM MINE! **I LO-**_

_ Wait, no…_

That was too easy. He almost said it.

There were a lot of things he felt for Sokka right now, but he was certain none of them was love. He had to make sure he wouldn't let something like that slip out _in front of him…_

* * *

Thank you SO MUCH for reading, I'll try to be a little bit quicker with the next chapter. (I actually like where this story is going!) Comment, sil'vous plait?


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! 

I'm so excited. I hope this chapter doesnt come off as too awkward, I wrote it sections at a time so it seems a little mixed up I guess. But, BEWARE this segment begins just after Sokka left home from the LAST chapter, but from Aang's and Katartas gag point of view.

Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews, and... ENJOY!!!!

**Disclaimer**: I do NOT own Avatar:The Last Airbender, but then again, I havent been on E-bay in a while...

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"What's _his_ problem?" Aang asked as he watched Sokka march out the door without a word.

"I'm not so sure," Katara answered. She took a seat near the air bender and continued. "But _I'd_ like to hear it."

Aang smiled and began the story, which went vaguely like this:

_Over three hundred years ago, somewhere in the southwestern region, there once existed a fruitful water tribe village whose name has been long forgotten. It was a peaceful place, healthy with natural resources provided by the deep river that ran through the center of it, and the people were happy. _

_It wasn't long before the fire nation stumbled over it. They were simply passing through, escorting their princess back home, when she found it wise to stay and take over the village for her nation. _

_Things were going well for the fire nation. The villagers didn't put up much of a struggle and were helping tremendously to their supplies of food. Even their young leader welcomed them generously. _

_Then one day, the Fire nation princess and the village leader were discovered having an affair, and it ruined everything._

_The people there were very religious and believed that fire benders and water benders were never meant to be together. It was a sin. "The Curse of **Jin-Ho**" they called it. The curse promised that if any water and fire bender were to elope, the gods would rightfully punish them. So the people did nothing to punish their leader, but waited for the gods to give him what he deserved. _

_The fire nation, on the other hand, had plans of their own. The fire lord was so ashamed of his daughter he ordered to have her burned at the stake in front of the entire village, and most importantly, the man she was discovered with._

_After the Princess was engulfed in flames, the villagers watched in horror as their previous leader screamed and howled in pain as well, the cause unknown. He clawed at his face and skin as it literally boiled and melted away until he too lied dead in the village courtyard. _

"So the village blamed the fire nation, the fire nation burnt down the village, and know one's seen it since…" Aang breathed in heavily in an attempt to recover all the breath he lost telling the story. He had tried to sum it up rather nutshell-like but failed miserably.

"Why haven't I heard of this before?" Katara said, astounded. "I mean, growing up that kind of thing just seemed like _common sense_. I didn't know that there was a whole story behind it."

The air bender stretched sleepily, falling back onto the pillows strewn about the floor behind him. "Well, don't worry about it, Katara. It wasn't exactly a pastime favorite a hundred years ago, either."

* * *

Sokka came home late that evening, around ten o'clock. It was later than usual, but he just told his friends that he had gotten lost (which was very likely) and went straight to bed.

Those three days passed as if they were never going to end.

Sokka had never felt anything more powerful in his life. Before that day, he was normal, satisfied Sokka. But now he is nobody. This body of his was limp, weak, a shell of what he once was… a puppet with no strings.

He was somewhere within the wood of that puppet, the wood that once supported the branches of a great oak tree, the wood that once grew and had a purpose but had been torn away, hacked and shaped, stained with toxic paints. This tree now was forced to symbolize something it was never meant to be.

This wood is dead.

But there is hope. For Sokka and for the wood, life will not end with death. It will come at a price, however. The wood, with the humiliating symbol painted on a surface that was never created to see the light of day, must burn. Its only hope is to be reduced to a pile of mineral rich soot that will be sprinkled among the soil so that new life can grow.

Sokka must first burn.

His body, his image, he must give everything up because he has been mercilessly torn away from the tree that was once his comfortable life.

_I cannot go on like this, _He thought to himself. _I have no choice. I must go to him, and I must stay…_

Meanwhile Zuko had confined himself to his bedroom, complaining of stomach flu. "That explains why you were in such a hurry last night." His uncle joked, but Zuko just nodded weakly. "Well, I was hoping you could run the shop on your own while I was gone, but I guess it'll have to stay closed."

"I'm sorry, uncle…"

For three days the prince ate and drank little, slept little, and didn't do much of anything else either. There was nothing he could do. Nothing seemed important enough, and nothing was.

His mind was poisoned with the thought of that man's touch, and how he lost control when he felt it. He will never feel anything like it, he was sure of himself.

He wanted his other half. It was so simple… that's what made him angry.

_I only want him. I will ask for nothing further. I will accept all the shame and dishonor in the world, but please, give him to me. _

* * *

Zuko was waiting in the empty teashop on the third day. The curtains were drawn, only a couple lights were on, and all the chairs were stacked upside down on the tables. He sat at the bar with his back to the door waiting anxiously for Sokka to arrive. Hours went by and he simply sat there, fantasizing what he would be able to do to him now that they could meet in private.

They would have _hours, _all tothemselves.

The prince smiled. _This is so wrong. _He thought, _so… wonderfully wrong. _

Hours stretched into the late afternoon and Zuko was starting to get irritated. _I did not spend THREE miserable days nearly tearing myself apart for NOTHING! _He clenched his fist and just about slammed it into the counter, but he heard something that stopped him.

The door opened.

Sokka stepped in and closed the door behind him. He was so nervous; his entire body was trembling with fear and anticipation. For the past three days he hadn't even allowed himself to fathom what would come of this meeting. Every time he thought about it, he became drowned in guilt.

He saw Zuko sitting on the other side of the room and a wave of relief washed over him. All the confusion from before seemed to disappear as he approached the fire bender. The way the man sat, with his bare back gleaming in the dim light, it captured Sokka.

_Thank god he took his shirt off…_

It was so alluring, Zuko's figure. Sokka fought the urge to reach out and touch him, until he figured: _why not? _So he stretched his hand out to the man, who remained still as if he'd fallen asleep sitting there, and touched him. Just his fingertips at first, gently trailing from his shoulders, down the bumps of his spine all the way to his hips.

The 'sleeping man' awoke the second he felt Sokka touch him. He let out a wayward gasp as his back gave way to that sinful sensation.

"Where the _hell _have you been!?" Zuko asked fiercely after he felt Sokka's hand lift away.

"You think I could've gotten here any earlier without looking suspicious!?" the boy bit back, "The last thing I'm gonna do is let Aang or Katara find out I'm here…" He hesitated, "…with… _you_… " Sokka started to back away slowly, he felt that dreaded guilt pour over him again. _This is the fire lord's SON we're talking about. I'm _fraternizing_ with the enemy! What if they find out? _

_Why the hell am I doing this…?_

Zuko felt that he was loosing him so he spun off his chair, grabbing Sokka by the shoulders, and kissed him earnestly.

…_Oh, THAT'S_ _why…_

Zuko immediately went to work, untying the sash around Sokka's waist while he was still distracted by the kiss. The robe was ripped off his shoulders and he pulled the boy to him, their skin crashing together in an explosion of static tension. They were practically traumatized by it, staggering in each other's arms for a moment, but it only left them wanting more.

Sokka became weak and felt his legs start to relent in their attempts to hold his weight. Zuko was way ahead of him, holding up the relatively light boy and guiding him down to the floor, letting him lean against the counter for support.

Now the prince was curious about the parts of Sokka now freshly exposed. He started working his way down his neck and into his shoulder, planting a strange combination of kisses and passionate knaws along the way. It didn't matter how, he wanted to taste every square inch of the boys skin between his teeth.

"Ugh… nhhh, Zuko…" Sokka's voice carried on, he was now free to delight the young prince's ears with his rather honest moans and grunts of pleasure.

Delighted indeed. The fire bender became so intoxicated by his voice that he nearly bit the skin off his neck.

"Aghh!_" _He screamed, giving up on holding them back.

Zuko sat up again to look Sokka in the face, surprised to find that he was blushing terribly. "Sokka?"

"Nnnh…?" was his only response.

"I want you…"

"I know." He said, without opening his eyes like he was so sure of himself.

Zuko knew otherwise and grabbed him by the shoulders, squeezing tightly until the boy finally looked him in the eye. "No… Sokka, I want _all _of you…"

There was a long pause; Sokka sat there, letting the meaning of Zuko's words sink in. "_I know…_" He said, finally, leaning in to kiss the man he never knew he would want so badly.

So he took him… right then in there, on the teashop floor. Neither could hardly recall being at all in control of themselves or even aware that what was happening was really happening, or just some sort of strange dream. What they did seemed to them simply an impulse, natural, as if it made no sense _not_ to do it.

Things got rough, but that didn't stop them. When Zuko entered the boy, they both screamed in what sounded like, and what surely could have been, immense pain. They had just discovered that the chilling, sizzling sensation of the Jin-ho was effective across their _entire_ body, and Zuko ravaged on, no longer holding an ounce of sympathy for the poor boy below him.

It ended quickly, resolving in a fit of deja-vu inducing puffs of hot breath. Before either of them had time to recover, Zuko looked up at the boy and tried to locate his face through the matted, sweaty hair.

"We need to talk."

* * *

I hope you liked it as much as I did, save for a few confusing details... hm... But expect some complicated plot development in the next installment. By the way, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!! 

-Kodoku-shan-


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